At a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on October 28, Aeroflot CEO Sergei Aleksandrovsky announced that the company is ready to begin preparing a third contract for the supply of 92 Russian medium-haul MC-21 aircraft. According to him, the implementation of the new order will increase the total number of ordered airliners of this model to 200 units. Thus, the carrier is reinforcing its course towards expanding its fleet with domestic aviation equipment, forming a long-term fleet renewal program.
Timing of the first deliveries
Aeroflot expects the first deliveries of the MC-21 between September and December 2027. This timeframe aligns with earlier statements by Rostec management: in June 2026, the head of the state corporation, Sergei Chemezov, estimated the volume of deliveries in 2027 at four to five aircraft. The combination of these data indicates that the launch of commercial operation of the airliner in the fleet of Russia's largest carrier is scheduled for the second half of 2027, after the completion of certification and infrastructure preparation.
The importance of long-term orders for the aviation industry
According to Aleksandrovsky, long-term agreements are designed to ensure order stability and uniform loading of Russian aviation industry enterprises. For manufacturers, this means greater predictability of production volumes, and for the carrier, the opportunity to plan the formation of its own fleet in advance. Securing a large order for 200 aircraft creates a planning framework for several years ahead, which reduces risks for both parties and allows production capacities to be built for uniform shipments rather than peak loads.
Context: MC-21 compared to Western counterparts
The MC-21 is positioned as a Russian medium-haul airliner comparable to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. Rostec head Sergei Chemezov in June 2026 called the domestic aircraft a "full replacement" for these models, specifying that a direct comparison is appropriate "in the event of these companies returning to Russia." At the same time, independent expert assessments point to technical nuances: during testing, the flight range of the MC-21 was confirmed at over 3,800 km, and the weight of the aircraft increased by several tons due to heavier domestic components. These parameters make direct comparison with Western airliners, which have a range of about 6,000–7,100 km, difficult, but manufacturers emphasize that the declared characteristics are sufficient for medium-haul domestic flights.
Thus, the key fact remains Aeroflot's intention to bring the total MC-21 order to 200 aircraft and receive the first airliners in late 2027. The implementation of this program will depend on certification timelines, serial production rates, and the readiness of logistics infrastructure, making the next two years decisive for the domestic medium-haul airliner entering regular service.
